Providing animals with various dietary supplements and medications such as vitamins, mineral, enzymes, hormones, and antibiotics is a common and well-known practice in the livestock and poultry industries. The manner in which these supplements are mixed together with a consumptive fluid carrier such as water is disclosed in a number of patents to include the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,889,443; 4,815,042; 4,733,971; 5,219,224; and 5,487,603. In these references as well as many others, it is known to utilize automated systems which dispense discrete amounts of micro-ingredients, mix the micro-ingredients, and then deliver the micro-ingredients to a feed ration, typically in a slurry-mixture form. The prepared slurry may be fed directly to the animals, or may be added to the animal feed rations using mixing or spraying methods. Some animal feed supplements include pharmaceuticals. Mixing these pharmaceuticals with animal feed causes them to be subject to the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Accordingly, the locations that produce these medicated feed rations must maintain compliance with FDA regulations. Such locations may be routinely inspected by FDA personel, and are subject to various reporting requirements. Therefore, it is imperative that equipment used in the processes is capable of accurately and precisely metering, dispensing, and combining quantities of the micro-ingredients.
One focus for many of the prior references that disclose equipment used for dispensing and mixing micro-ingredients is to improve accuracy and precision in delivering the micro-ingredients. However, one particular disadvantage with many of the prior art systems is that although they may be able to accurately and precisely dispense and combine micro-ingredients, such systems may be overly complex, may be difficult to clean and maintain, and therefore increase the overall cost of managing feed operations for livestock producers.
The most common method for measuring the amount of a micro-ingredient to be used in a designated ration is use of one or more weigh scales that weigh the amount of each micro-ingredient delivered to the ration. The weight measurement may be achieved in various methods such as measurement of loss in weight or measurement of gain in weight. Loss in weight refers to measuring the weigh loss of a particular bin or container that has dispensed the micro-ingredient, the loss in weight corresponding to the amount of the micro-ingredient dispensed from the bin/container. Gain in weight refers to measuring the amount of a micro-ingredient delivered to a receiving container or bin, the increase in weight corresponding to the amount of the micro-ingredient delivered to the receiving container. Although weigh scales provide a very accurate and precise means of measuring the amount of a micro-ingredient used within a ration, the weigh scales add additional cost and complexity to an automated feed delivery system. Furthermore, the weigh scales may require special data interfaces with associated data processing equipment that receives and records the weigh scale signals. In an automated micro-ingredient delivery system, there are typically a number of storage bins and liquid containers that hold the micro-ingredients prior to delivery. Depending upon the configuration of the delivery system, it may be required to have multiple scales that therefore significantly add to the overall cost of the micro-ingredient delivery system.
Another common method of measuring the amount of a micro-ingredient that has been dispensed is measurement by volume. It is known that certain delivery mechanisms such as an auger have the capability to accurately and precisely dispense a known quantity of a micro-ingredient over a period of time. Thus, measurement of a delivered micro-ingredient can be determined on a volumetric basis wherein an amount delivered is determined by the length of time that the delivery mechanism is activated. Volume measurement is particularly useful with respect to measurement of liquid micro-ingredients.
While the prior art systems may be adequate for their intended purposes, further simplification of the components used in a micro-ingredient delivery system is advantageous if the system can continue to provide reliable results in terms of accurate and precise delivery of micro-ingredients. Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a micro-ingredient delivery system that is capable of accurately and precisely manipulating the micro-ingredient for delivery to a feed ration, but such a system is made simpler by eliminating weigh scale use in favor of alternate measurement techniques.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a micro-ingredient delivery system and method that is conducive to automation through the use of one or more computers or industrial controllers such as a programmable logic controller (PLC).
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a micro-ingredient delivery system whereby accurate records may be kept to comply with FDA or other governmental regulations.
It is yet another object of the present invention to simplify data interfaces between the devices used in the system to measure delivered micro-ingredients and the data processing equipment used in the system.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a hybrid micro-ingredient delivery system and method that uses multiple measuring methods, and can be easily adapted for handling a wide array of micro-ingredients used in many types of ration recipes.
In all of the foregoing objects, a micro-ingredient delivery system is provided that still provides an accurate and precise means of delivering the micro-ingredients, yet the system is simplified and made more economical.